Google Play opens up third-party payments in the US, marking a turning point for developer revenue

After iOS, Google Play Takes a Critical Step Forward

On October 29, Google Play began enforcing a US court injunction that permits developers to integrate third-party payment methods within their apps. This means developers can now embed external payment channels directly, rather than being forced to use Google Play Billing (GPB).

This is a significant opportunity to regain control over profit structures, user operations, and data.

Key Policy Changes Explained

According to Google's official announcement (effective October 29, 2025), the new US policy has three core provisions:

1. Removal of the ban on non-GPB in-app payments: Developers can directly integrate third-party payments inside their APKs. Google will not reject or remove apps solely for using non-GPB payment channels.
2. Freedom to guide users to external payments: Developers may use in-app pop-ups, web pages, emails, and other channels to direct users to complete subscriptions or payments on their official site, including providing external APK download links.
3. Price disparity is now permitted: Developers may offer lower prices through external payment channels without needing to match the pricing on Google Play Billing.
4. Policy Timeframe: According to the latest court ruling in the Epic case, the policy will be in effect from October 29, 2025, to November 1, 2027. Under global antitrust pressure, it is possible this may be extended or even become a permanent feature of the US mobile ecosystem.

Currently, Google has not yet announced adjustments to its US service fees, making third-party payments a more profitable alternative in the near term.

Geographic Scope: U.S. Users Only, Strict Segmentation Required

Although this Google Play policy opening is unprecedented, it currently applies only to users in the United States. It is a temporary exemption driven by a US court injunction and does not represent a global rollout.

Google will identify "US users" based on the following criteria:

• IP address location
• SIM card country code
• Google account registered country

Only when at least one of these three indicators clearly identifies a user as US-based can developers display third-party payment options within the app. For users outside the US, directly exposing external payment options will be considered a violation of Google’s policies.

For developers serving global markets, close attention must be paid to this region-segmentation logic. If a game developer launches in the US market while also serving European or Asian players, they must ensure that third-party payments are enabled only for US users, while Google Play Billing (GPB) or locally-approved alternatives continue to be used in other regions.

It should be noted that since the injunction was enforced, a modification to the settlement between Google and Epic Games has been proposed. If approved by the judge, this will see the former take a revenue cut of between 9% and 20% globally based on the way games monetise.

Implementation Guide: How to Adapt Quickly to the U.S. Policy

1. Technical integration

Under the new US policy, developers can embed third-party payment APIs directly into the app, without using Google’s Alternative Billing API. It is recommended to implement dynamic payment routing logic on the server side:

• When the system identifies a US user, route transactions through third-party payments.
• Users from other regions continue to use Google Play Billing.

This prevents compliance issues caused by mixed use. To reduce development costs, a unified SDK interface can be implemented to support multi-channel switching and ensure compatibility.

2. Risk Management

If non-US users complete payments through third-party channels, it may be deemed a policy violation. Payment solution providers recommend deploying multi-dimensional location checks (IP + SIM + account region) and a risk-control fallback system. If a cross-region payment is detected, the system should automatically block the path or revert to official channels to ensure account security and compliance.

Three Major Benefits for Game Developers

With the opening of third-party payments on Google Play in the US, developers gain true payment autonomy. The advantages extend far beyond lower fees, covering monetisation, operations, and data ownership.

1. Revenue structure optimisation

Previously, GPB fees ranged from 15 - 30%. By integrating third-party Payment Service Providers (PSPs), developers may see a significant increase in their net revenue per transaction. This retained revenue provides additional resources for user acquisition, marketing, and content development.

2. Enhanced payment experience

Third-party payments allow for flexible UI and promotional strategies. Developers can freely design discounts, rebates, seasonal events, and bundles without the restrictions of GPB, which can help boost retention and conversion rates.

3. Full control of data and users

With third-party payment flows, developers gain direct access to user transaction data. This enables precise analysis of purchase behaviour, ROI, LTV, and other key metrics. For example, developers can now offer "5% cashback on official-site payments" in the US and process them via external portals - a compliant and effective retention strategy.

From Payment to Operations: A New Growth Logic

This shift is not only about alternative billing - it reshapes the business logic of mobile games. Previously, IAP systems relied heavily on platform infrastructure, limiting UX, pricing, and lifecycle innovation.

With third-party billing, developers gain strategic flexibility, including:

• Multi-entry payment systems (in-app, web store, email funnels)
• Holiday events, tiered rebates, and time-limited discounts tied directly to operations
• Data-driven monetisation across different payment types and LTV curves

At its core, this new payment freedom offers new avenues for growth. The policy change is the trigger, but combining flexible payments with live-ops will be a key factor in determining competitive strength.

How EnJoyPay Helps Developers

Amid this US policy shift, developers are focused on rapid integration, compliance, and operational stability. As a global PSP focused on the gaming sector, EnJoyPay offers an end-to-end solution:

• Global payment aggregation for cards, wallets, and local payment methods via a single integration.
• A dual-channel architecture that automatically detects user region and switches between GPB and third-party billing for compliance.
• An AI-driven risk and compliance engine, PCI DSS-certified and aligned with Google's security standards.
• A gaming-focused analytics platform, delivering payment behaviour insights to help optimise ARPU and ROI.

Policies Change, Winners Prepare Early

The US Google Play policy shift signals a structural turning point in the global mobile ecosystem. Developers are no longer forced to accept platform tax as destiny; they can now build higher-margin, independent monetisation systems within a compliant framework.

For developers targeting the global market, this is a crucial pilot window. As other territories like Japan, Korea, and the EU gradually liberalise payment rules, teams that build robust third-party payment systems early will be best positioned to seize the next wave of opportunities.

Policy shifts take time, but compliance-driven, flexible, global payment systems will become a long-term competitive advantage for global studios.

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